Saturday sees a fantastic card at Leopardstown,with the Irish Hennessy meeting which was postponed from last Sunday due to waterlogging at the track. The Spring Juvenile Hurdle is the first race of the day at 1.10pm and the first of four Grade 1 contests on the card. The Dermot Weld trained Unapanied and English raider indian Daudaie look set to battle it out for favourtism in the race, with the former just about edging things at 11/4 with Irish bookmaker Paddy Power. Eleven horses go to post in total in what looks like apetitive race in which those in the final reckoning are likely to take their place at the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The Triumph Hurdle is one of the most open of the championship races in the betting ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, with current favourite Grandouet a very skinny looking 5/1. Saturday’s favourite Unapanied is currently a 12/1 shot for the Triumph with Paddy Power, but a win at Leopardstown will surely see that price take a tumble. Dermot Weld’s four-year-old has just the one race to her name over hurdles, winning by nine lengths in a maiden at Punchestown over Christmas.

Indian Daudaie is twice the price of his rival on Saturday, despite the betting being so close for this Leopardstown contest. Paul Nicholls trains the second favourite and at odds of 10/3 he appears to have genuine claims. The gelding was third at Cheltenham last time out in a Grade 2 Triumph Hurdle Trial, his first run for Nicholls having been acquired from France last year. The horse finished four and a half lengths back from winner Local Hero that day, currently a 20/1 chance for the Triumph next month.

Sailors Warn and Louisville Lip are next in the betting, both priced at 6/1. Edward O’Grady has high hoped for his juvenile Sailors Warn who ran out an impressive three and a half length winner in a Grade 2 at Leopardstown last time out over Christmas. Second in that race was Fearless Falcon who can be backed at odds of 16/1 for Saturday’s Race. The brilliantly named Louisville Lip is another winner last time out, this time at Thurles a few weeks ago where he put two and a half lengths between himself and Maxim Gorky, a 14/1 chance on Saturday with Paddypower.

Other horses worthy of mention include 8/1 fifth favourite Toner D’Oudairies, who was beaten into fourth place by Sailors Warn in that Grade 2 at Leopardstown, whilst 14/1 shot Tillahow is also has some form, beating Fearless Falcon by a nexk to land the Grade 3 Visit Punchestown Juveile Hurdle at the beginning of January.

Spring Juvenile Hurdle Odds

11/4 Unapanied
10/3 Indian Daudaie
6/1 Sailors Warn
6/1 Louisville Lip
8/1 Toner D’Oudairies
14/1 Maxim Gorky
14/1 Tillahow
16/1 Fearless Falcon
20/1 Chaperoned
25/1 Kalann
33/1 Pena Dorada